RCI News Archive

Entries for February 2015

One of the oldest living St Lucians to have witnessed the transitioning of the island from statehood to independence has been reacting to a program of activities which was rolled out to observe St. Lucia’s 36th independence anniversary.

Mr Peter Josie says he is not convinced that the significance of the accomplishment has not been maximized. Rather he believes that the national observance is being used as a political football to gain popularity with the people.

The Annual Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival, now in its 24th year, will raise the curtain on April 30 with a line-up of performers who blends island culture, famed musical talent and diverse music genres.

As of October 2014 with consent of the Caricom Countries and the General Nursing Councils in the respective territories, anybody coming in to register as a nurse in St. Lucia is now required to do the CXC Managed RENR examination.

RENR stands for the Regional Examination for Nurse Registration. Previously anyone could have applied to the Nursing Council to register as a Nurse in St. Lucia once they had completed a course of training approved by the council and had been successful at the qualifying examination.

The Marchand Police Station is about to embark on its very first community policing project for the year. On Friday, February 6, 2015 the lawmen will team up with the Marchand Football Committee from 7 a.m. in order to construct a footpath for Bernadette Francois, an elderly citizen, who is in need of better access to her home.

A Community Policing Group was formed in Marchand during a “Meet The Commissioner” town hall meeting in the Marchand Parish Centre in May last year. The committee comprises members of the Marchand community, and officers of the Marchand Police Station.

The General Manager of the St. Lucia Fish Marketing Corporation says a political crusade against him on social media regarding the organization’s non payment of monies owed to local fishermen does not faze him.

Mr Vaughan Charles was responding to claims that there has been an inordinate delay on the part of the organization to make payments for landed fish.

A proposal to vastly reform Jamaica’s marijuana laws already has the support of the nation’s governing cabinet and appears poised to pass its Senate. Now, a top American official has weighed in, saying that it’s fine with the U.S. if Jamaica wants to revise its own marijuana laws.

William Brownfield, assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, said, “we must have tolerance and accept that different countries will address their drug issues in different ways so long as they are committed to the fundamental purposes of [international drug control treaties] and that is to reduce the damage, to reduce the harm and eventually to reduce the abuse of these products.”

Deputy Police Commissioner for Operations and Crime has reacted to a fifteen year record of no homicides here during the month of January and has cautioned against premature celebration..

Ms Frances Henry noted that while the development is a positive one and speaks to the effectiveness of crime fighting systems established by the Royal St Lucia Police Force, it cannot accept the credit.

The President of the St Lucia Craft and Dry Goods Vendors Association has taken issue with statements made by Newspaper Publisher and Talk show host Rick Wayne regarding an alleged spitting incident at Rodney Bay.

The incident which has been receiving widespread coverage involved a vendor and a restaurant owner who were engaged in a dispute that resulted in the vendor being spat on.

Three men have been arrested after police make a seizure of over one hundred thousand Euros over the weekend.

On Friday January 30, 2015, about 11:00p.m. a combined team of officers from the Royal St Lucia Police Force, conducted a search operation at Admiral Quay, a villa complex situated at Rodney Bay, Gros-Islet.

The history of the OECS will take a new turn on Wednesday February 4th 2015 when the French Territory of Martinique signs on as an Associate Member, increasing the Nine Member Grouping to 10.

The historic signing of Martinique as an Associate Member of the OECS will take place at the Hotel La Bateliere in Forte De France Martinique during the opening ceremony of the 60th Meeting of the OECS Authority.

On Wednesday,January 28, 2015, Cletus Emmanuel was admitted to the Bordelais Correctional facility for the offence of Possession of controlled drugs. On Monday January 26, 2015, he was convicted before the Second District Court at Dennery for the offence and was sentenced to be imprisoned with hard labour for a term of 12 months.

Cletus Emmanuel, a resident of Green Mountain, Dennery was on January 01, 2015 intercepted at the outer perimeter of the Bordelais Correctional Facility by members of the Special Operations Response team. It was suspected that he was attempting to smuggle the items into the Facility.He was apprehended and had in his possession four (04) cellular phones, two (02) hacksaw blades, three (03) cellular phone chargers, four (04) lighters, one (01) cell phone battery, one (01) packet cigarette paper (rizzla) and a quantity of green plant material appearing to be cannabis. He was escorted to the Dennery Police station and was charged for the offence of Possession of Cannabis and Possession with intent to supply to another.